Certification of Studies for USC

Certification of Studies for USC

Applicants who have completed previous studies outside the United States will need to have a certification completed for USC. This requirement applies to students seeking graduate admission or transfer credit at the undergraduate level. By certifying the completion of their international studies, this report will help applicants achieve recognition for their prior studies.

Services and Fees

Reports

A file number will be assigned and notification will be sent upon receipt of the application. Every effort will be made to mail the report within 15 business days.

Yet, if additional documentation and/or fees is/are required, the turnaround time will be effective from the date of receipt of all requested materials.

Certification of Studies for USC

Required for

Students seeking graduate admission

Description

This report confirms the institution(s) of study, dates of attendance, credential(s) earned, and the date(s) of conferral.

Detail Report with Course Level Identification for USC

Required for

Students seeking transfer credit at the undergraduate level

Description

This report confirms the institution(s) of study, dates of attendance, credential(s) earned, and the date(s) of conferral. It also lists individual courses taken with semester units, grades and an overall grade point average (where applicable). It also identifies the level of the class (e.g., lower versus upper division, professional, vocational).

Additional Services

Rush Services

If requesting a Rush service, please note that ALL fees must be paid by cashier's check, money order or credit card only. No personal checks will be accepted for rush applications.

Please also note that Rush applications received after 3:00pm PST/PDT will be considered to have been received the next business day. This also applies to payments, correspondence and documentation received after 3:00pm PST/PDT.

24-Hour Rush (Next Business Day)

Fee

$200 in addition to the report fee

Turnaround time

24 hours from the receipt of the application, required documents and fee.

5-Day Rush

Fee

$85 in addition to the report fee

Turnaround time

5 business days from the receipt of the application, required documents and fee.

10-Day Rush

Fee

$60 in addition to the report fee

Turnaround time

10 business days from the receipt of the application, required documents and fee.

Photocopying Fee

Please submit a set of photocopies (front and back) of all original documents, including translations. Otherwise, you will be assessed a $20 fee.

Mailing Options

NOTE: THE COMPLETED REPORT WILL BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY TO USC. A SECURE MAILING FEE IS NOT NEEDED FOR THE OFFICIAL REPORT FOR USC.

Regular Mail

The applicant copy will be sent via regular mail unless otherwise requested. There is no additional fee for regular mail.

Mailing with a Tracking Service

If you prefer mailing with a tracking service (e.g., UPS, DHL, etc.), we offer the following:

Domestic Secure Mailing for $20 per address Domestic Next Day Delivery for $35 per address International Secure Mailing for $75 per address

We recommend that you select either Secure Mailing or Domestic Next Day Delivery for the return of your original academic records. Please note that your original documents will not be returned to you, unless you instruct us in writing to return them via regular mail. IERF accepts no liability related to the loss or damage of documents during mailing.

NOTE: If you and your classmates decide to send in your academic records together in the same package to IERF (e.g., the same FedEx/UPS/DHL package), please be sure to indicate your names in a cover letter and have the documents organized and clipped separately by student. This will enable our office to process your individual applications efficiently and without delay.

Payments

Payment in the form of a check (unless requesting a RUSH service), cashier's check, money order or credit card must accompany all applications, and must be payable to IERF.

Overseas payments must be in U.S. dollars and drawn on a United States bank. If payment is being made by a bank draft, an additional $15 processing fee is required.

Required Documentation

Please note that ORIGINAL, OFFICIAL academic records are required for the certification of your studies. For this reason, you are advised to mail them to IERF by using a service that has tracking (e.g., UPS, FedEx, etc.). When submitting your academic records to IERF, also be sure to include a cover page with your 10-digit USC ID number, if available. When our office has received your records, an email notification and confirmation will be sent to you.

The documents should be mailed to:

IERF P.O. Box 3665 Culver City, CA 90231

If a courier service is used, please use the address below (UPS, FedEx, etc. ONLY - Please note that this office is not open to the public):

IERF 6133 Bristol Parkway, #300 Culver City, CA 90230 310.258.9451

NOTE: The drop-off option at USC's Degree Progress Office is no longer available.

IERF General Document Requirements

Be certain that you have all the necessary documents before sending your application, as missing documents will delay the processing of your evaluation.

Also, be sure to read the IERF Country-Specific Requirements section (below), as it provides a more detailed description of the required academic records by country of study.

Please note that IERF requires official academic records. Unofficial student copies will not be accepted, even if they are issued by the school.

Please submit the following:

ORIGINAL Transcripts / Mark Sheets / Examination Certificates / Academic Records indicating courses/subjects, hours of study/units/credits, and grades/marks/examination results, issued in the original language. These must be issued on institutional letterhead and include official signatures and seals. If the hours/units/credits are not included on the academic records, please submit program descriptions/syllabi issued by the institution, where applicable.

ORIGINAL Diplomas / Graduation Certificates / Degree Certificates issued in the original language (indicating that a degree/qualification has been earned or that a program of study has been completed). If the degree was not earned, please indicate so in writing.

Copy of the title page, abstract, table of contents, and first ten pages of the dissertation for the evaluation of doctoral studies.

IERF Country-Specific Requirements

Be certain that you have all the necessary documents before sending your application, as missing documents will delay the processing of your evaluation.

This section provides a detailed description of the required academic records by country of study. It is recommended that you first read the IERF General Document Requirements section (above).

Photocopies

Original documents (including translations) must be accompanied by clear, legible and full-sized photocopies (front and back). Otherwise, you will be assessed a $20 fee. Photocopies become the property of IERF.

Translations

Translations must be submitted for all records not officially issued in English. These must be in the same format as the original-language documents, line-by-line, word-for-word, and must be typed. IERF reserves the right to request translations prepared by professional translation services.

In some instances, professional translations are required. Please be sure to check IERF’s Country-Specific Requirements (see section above) for more information.

IERF has negotiated a special discount with University Language Services for our applicants who use their translation services. You can contact them directly through their website to learn more about the discount.

If submitting original translations, please include a set of clear, legible and full-sized photocopies (front and back). Otherwise, you will be assessed a $20 fee. Photocopies become the property of IERF.

Proof of Name Change

If your name has changed, please submit proof of name change (e.g. copy of a marriage certificate or other legal document, etc.).

Request for Additional Information

Be certain that you have all the necessary documents before sending your application, as missing documents will delay the processing of your evaluation.

Please note that at any time during the evaluation process, IERF reserves the right to request additional documents or that documents be sent directly to IERF by the issuing institution(s). All records received from the institution(s) of study will become the property of IERF and will not be returned to the applicant.

Please submit the requested documentation and/or fees within 4 months. Otherwise, your case will be closed and an $80 fee will be required to re-open your case.

How to Apply

We recommend that you have all the necessary documents (as outlined in the Required Documentation section above) before sending your application, as missing documents will delay the processing of your evaluation.

When you are ready to apply, please take advantage of our interactive and user-friendly online application. This facility will guide you step-by-step through the process as well as provide various payment options.

NOTE: THE COMPLETED REPORT WILL BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY TO USC. A SECURE MAILING FEE IS NOT NEEDED FOR THE OFFICIAL REPORT FOR USC.

As an alternative, you may also download the forms below, and mail them to our office: